A/N: Hey everyone! Once again, I'd like to thank everyone for continuing to read and leave feedback in this story! I can't even begin to express how much I appreciate it! Anyways, now that we're firmly in the Psychological Horror territory, I'd just like to remind everyone that all content warnings listed in the tags apply from this point forward.


Chapter 7: Second Verse Refrain

An almost uncomfortably warm haze drifted through the quiet suburban street that Dan Avidan walked down. Only the shade of the sparse scattering of trees, and the occasional breath of autumn breeze against his face provided momentary solace from the humid warmth.

Around him, as usual, small clusters of students, most of which seemed to ignore him as he passed, prepared for their daily walk towards the school building, some of them eager to attend class and start their day, while others were less than thrilled to have been once again dragged from their rest by the burdens of obligation and responsibility.

Usually, Dan considered himself to be part of the latter category. It wasn't that he necessarily hated school, he reasoned, but rather that the monotony of it was irritatingly tedious. He sighed to himself, as he mentally prepared himself for what he believed was a day like any other. A sardonic smile crept humorlessly on the edges of his lips as he ran through the mental checklist of his average day.

Wake up? Check

Walk to school alone? Check

Spend hours half-listening to a dull lecture over something that he felt like he'd already heard a billion times, despite it never managing to actually stick in his mind, before inevitably walking home alone, like the boring, friendless loser that everyone thought he was?

Okay, that one was a bit harsh, he admitted. But, he thought, casting a glance over at a group of students that passed by him, mostly ignoring his existence as they continued their light-hearted chatter. It wasn't like he didn't have friends, he thought. Didn't he have a childhood friend that he used to walk to school with everyday when he was younger? He thought.

What was her name again?

A high pitched voice jolted him from his thoughts, as he recognized the sound of the voice. Slowly, Dan turned, half expecting to see a petite peach-haired girl running toward him, shouting his name as she waved her arms, unconcerned of who or what she accidentally knocked over in her path.

Even through the humid warmth that blanketed the air, Dan couldn't help but feel as if he'd been dropped in the middle of the Arctic Ocean as a freezing shiver tingled through his spine. His vision blurred into flashes of incomprehensible shapes and colors as he staggered, catching himself on the pole of a nearby crosswalk sign. Burning heat, like an uncontrolled wildfire, surged through his lithe frame, making him feel as if his muscles were being melted into a fleshy pile on the sidewalk below.

His mind felt as if was being torn apart from the inside out, as the hum of static filled his senses. It was as if the logical half of his mind and the other, more instinct based part of him had taken hold of his senses, and were arguing over what was truly there.

There was someone supposed to be there, part of him argued. There had always been someone there, walking to school with him everyday since they were children. Except that since they'd gotten into high school, he added, he'd been walking to school alone because his friend would oversleep, and he didn't feel like risking being late for class by waiting up for her.

What was he talking about? He could almost hear the other part of him counter. He'd always walked to school alone. Although he wasn't exactly what one would call a shut-in, it reasoned, he didn't exactly have a lot of people that he'd considered close friends, either.

And yet there was a quiet third voice that suggested that, despite how paradoxical it might have sounded, both scenarios were simultaneously true and completely false. However, that voice was quickly drowned out by the roaring white noise of the other voices.

As his arm brushed against the metal pole, he felt something tiny and circular, like a coin, press into his left wrist, sending another jolt through his body. Like a stream of cold water through his veins, the circular object pulsed like a beacon, offering him a lifeline.

Through his gasping breaths and quickened heartbeat, he stared down at his wrist, his brown eyes examining the object hidden just slightly under the sleeve of his blazer. A crudely made bracelet tied itself around his left wrist, its thin leather cord slightly frayed at the ends as it twisted around a small, circular coin, inscribed with what appeared to be some faded Chinese characters that Dan couldn't read, but assumed that it read the same as the English inscription of 'You Are Not Alone' that read below it.

It was almost strange, most of the time, he almost forgot about its existence, having gone so long wearing it that he was practically used to the tiny bit of extra weight on his arm. And yet, there was just something about it that almost radiated with a mystical aura, he thought, providing a small dash of comfort and reassurance, pulling him back to reality like a lifeline pulling him out of a dark sea of chaos.

He couldn't remember where and when he'd gotten the bracelet. In the back of his mind, he vaguely knew that someone had given it him as a gift of some kind. But, only hazy flashes and vague ghost memories of feelings and sensation tingling faintly on his skin were all that he could recall.

Brown eyes, darker and richer than the earth itself, stared at him with a pleading sadness in his memory. Though, they were the eyes of a stranger, they shone with a comforting warmth of familiarity, as if these eyes and Dan's own had met many times before, both knowing that each time they Shaking, fearful hands ghosted over Dan's pulse, hesitant to accidentally set the other man's heart aflutter, but determined to bind his gift to the other man's body.

A whisper, it's words lost against the crackling static of his memory, echoed in his mind, speaking an unheard promise that Dan was subconsciously determined to keep, even if he couldn't remember what the promise was.

He jumped as he felt something gently grip his shoulder, causing him to slowly turn his head toward the source of the concerned voice that called his name. His eyes widened, a startled yelp escaping his lips as he stared up at the owner of the voice.

The figure appeared to be a male, another student judging by the uniform. Just from first glance alone, Dan noticed a streak of blonde hidden amongst the long brown hair that the other student wore tied up in a ponytail. Although the two appeared to be roughly the same height, the other man's frame was slightly more broad and thicker than Dan's own lanky, beanpole of a body.

But, it was not the presence of the other man that startled Dan, but rather his appearance. For a brief flicker of a second, the man seemed more like a twisted, nightmarish corpse that had been re-animated than he did a living human. His eyes were hollow pools of snowy gray static, leaking forth like tears running down his far too pale cheeks. Only flashing flecks of red, green and blue, flickered within the stormy gray. More plasmatic static trickled down his face in thin streams, like blood spilling forth from a head-wound.

Horrified, but unable to will himself to look away, the curly haired man's eyes fixated on the other man's throat. A large, gaping slash, like a knife wound, ran across the man's neck, stopping just inches from severing his neck in half. Like the other wounds, pulsing static spilled forth from the wound like blood from a fresh wound. He had no mouth, and yet, the other man still spoke, his voice disquieting and rasping amongst the crackle of white noise.

"I SHOULDN'T BE HERE." were the only words that Dan could understand among the garbled noise and sound that echoed from the other man's form.

And then, just as suddenly as it started, it ended, leaving the curly haired man breathless and heaving as found himself staring into the concerned, brown eyes of his fellow student. It had to have been the heat playing tricks on his mind, Dan thought, shaking his head as the other man guided him back to his feet.

"Oh my god-" the other student asked, "Are you okay, Dan?"

"I-I'm fine," Dan started, pausing briefly as he realized the other man said his name, "I think it might have just been the heat get-wait, did you just call me Dan?"

A strangled gasp escaped the other man's lips, his cheeks blushing a deep rose as his eyes darted wildly around him, as if hoping that he'd find some sort of excuse or appropriate response somewhere in the air.

"A-ah," The other man stammered, pushing his glasses up on the bridge of his nose,"N-no! Of course not! I said 'Are you okay, man?'"

Dan's brow furrowed dubiously, examining the man's face with hawklike scrutiny and curiosity. There was something familiar about the other man's face, he thought, as if they'd met each other before, although he couldn't place exactly where. Perhaps, he reasoned, it was possible that they'd passed each other on the way between classes, or on the journey to and from school. It was probably nothing significant, he tried to tell himself.

And yet, something ached in the back of his mind, stirring forth the faintest of unidentifiable emotions within him, that told him that there might have been a far deeper reasoning behind it.

"Have we," Dan asked, "met before?"

The curly haired man didn't know what reaction he had expected from the other man, but he had not expected the one that he had received in response. It was as if the simple question itself had been akin to Dan driving a dagger straight through the other man's heart. The other man's face fell, his posture slumping like a deflating balloon. His eyes stared down at the concrete below them, ashamedly avoiding Dan's perplexed gaze.

But, much like the nightmarish vision that had flickered in Dan's vision only moments before, the man shifted again, sighing deeply as he met the curly haired man's eyes once more. A resigned, joyless smirk twitched on the corners of his lips as he tried to put on a mask of casual nonchalance.

"No," he chuckled, "I guess we haven't. I mean, I transferred here from Asagao Academy a couple weeks ago, so…."

"Asagao Academy?" Dan asked, "You mean that private school across town?"

"Yeah," Arin replied nodding, "Anyways, I'm Arin, by the way. Arin Hanson."

"Dan," Dan replied, extending his hand in greeting toward the other man, "Dan Avidan."

Arin breathed a small sigh of relief, his smile growing brighter as he took Dan's hand, returning the greeting with friendly but firm handshake. Despite the warmth and friendliness in Arin's demeanor, Dan couldn't help but catch a faint tension in the other man's grip, his muscles tensed ever so slightly, like a tiger standing on gaurd as it hunted its prey, waiting to spring into action at the slightest provocation.

The two stood in momentary silence, both of them nervously fidgeting with the edges of their clothing, both seemingly determined to avoid eye contact with the other, as they tried to figure out what to say next.

It wasn't like it necessarily mattered, Dan thought to himself. After all, it wasn't like he and Arin were likely ever going to run into each other again. It might have been a small school, he reasoned, and they might have been in the same year, albeit different classes, but it was still large enough for them not to know everyone in the same year as them, much less in the school in general.

Besides, he added, Arin and him were probably in different social circles. Arin, he noted seemed like the type who actually had friends and a social life outside of school, while Dan was the polar opposite in that regard. Granted, he admitted, it wasn't like he hadn't ever thought about the prospect of trying to join a few extra-circular activities and possibly make a few new friends.

It wasn't like his fellow classmates were necessarily afraid of him or disliked him, he thought. And it wasn't like he necessarily considered himself complete introvert, either, or that he didn't have interests. He knew that he had a deep passion for music and singing, and that whenever he graduated he wanted to go to college and eventually become a professional singer in a band.

And yet, there was a part of him that felt like he was almost compelled to be a loner, content with drifting though his mundane existence with little ambition. It was as if his soul were asleep, laying in wait for that one specific person or event to come across his path that would turn his world upside down.

Of course, he reasoned, that was completely ridiculous. There was no magical person, or strange supernatural force that was just going to happen to him and drag him into some life-changing adventure. He wasn't the type of person who believe in fate like that. The only thing stopping him from taking the initiative and making friends, or even finding someone to fall in love with, was himself.

Mentally, he made a note to consider looking into checking out a club or two after school.

Arin opened his mouth to break the silence, but quickly found himself silenced as a shrill bell rang through the air. Around them, the few straggling students that lounged outside of the school quickened their pace in a mad dash to not be the last person to enter the classroom before the teacher began their lecture.

The other man cursed under his breath as he disappeared into the crowd, or as much as a six-foot-three giant could in a crowd of people somewhat shorter than him. Then again, Dan almost laughed as he entered the school as well,being a fairly tall guy himself, he could definitely relate to having difficulty hiding in a crowd.


The rest of the day passed by rather uneventfully. As usual, the final bell rang, as the other students filed out of the classroom, leaving Dan staring blankly out the window, his mind occupied with thoughts about which types of clubs he should join.

Surprisingly, trying to decide on a club to check out first turned out to be a much more difficult task than he had thought. None of the clubs that he thought have seemed to strike an interest in him.

He always supposed that he could check out the Music Club first, he reasoned. After all, he thought, aside from having some skill singing and playing bass guitar (to a much lesser extent), he had a fairly decent knowledge when it came to music in general. But then, he countered, considering that the other members in the Music Club likely had more of an interest in discussing music in more mathmatical terms, he wasn't sure if he'd be able to articulate himself quite as well a discussion with them.

Still, it wasn't like he had a whole lot of other options.

"Danny?" A feminine voice asked, jolting him from his thoughts.

Blinking, he found himself face to face with a pair of brilliant emerald eyes as a female student leaned over his desk with a curious look. Long locks of cinnamon colored haired, held together into a ponytail by a white ribbon, glistened in the golden light of the afternoon sun. A innocent, delicate smile painted her petal pink lips as she giggled, seeing that she'd gotten his attention.

Perhaps, it was that he had been too lost in his thoughts to actually hear her approach his desk, but he couldn't help but feel as if she had almost materialized in front of him out of air.

Much like his encounter with Arin earlier, he couldn't help but feel as if there were something familiar about this young woman, as if they'd met each other before. A small voice in the back of his mind reminded him that they had met before. Her name was Monika, the voice informed him. Although the two had rarely talked, he recalled that they had been in the same class the previous year. She seemed to be the most popular girl in class, he recalled. Smart, beautiful and athletic, it seemed that almost everyone in their class had liked her.

And, although he wasn't entirely sure how he felt about her, he admitted that he would have been lying if he said he hadn't had a bit of a crush on her the previous year, despite how out of his league he thought she was.

"Monika?" he asked, "What are you doing in here?"

Again, Monika giggled, smiling sweetly as she bashfully folded her arms behind her back.

"Well," she said, "I just came in here looking for some supplies for my club. Do you know if there's any construction paper or markers in here?"

Although the smile that the girl flashed him was sweet as honey, Dan thought he caught a brief note of nervousness in her tone, as if she were silently asking if her actually believed the words she said. The curly haired man quirked an eyebrow, folding his arms across his chest dubiously as he leaned back in his chair.

Why, he wondered, would Monika come down to this classroom to look for supplies for her club, when the club rooms were up on the third floor? Wouldn't it have been easier to ask the Art Club if they had any supplies that she could borrow?

Perhaps it was just him accidentally being self-centered, but he couldn't help but wonder if Monika hadn't happened to have already seen him in the classroom, and had possibly decided to make up an excuse to talk to him. Of course, he chuckled to himself, that didn't make any sense, either. Monika was far to beautiful and popular to be wasting her time talking to dorky loser like him.

Still, he thought, she had just mentioned clubs, and by some amazing stroke of cosmic coincidence, he just happened to be thinking about looking into clubs. Sure, he wasn't sure that he was necessarily the type of person who believed in fate, but he couldn't help but feel a small itch in the back of his subconscious telling him that maybe it was fate that Monika had walked into this room at that exact moment, talking about things that were on his mind.

"Um," he replied, thinking for a moment, "There might be some in that closet over there."

Monika nodded in agreement, starting to walk toward the closet, before Dan continued. He figured that while she was here, he might try to ask her about the Debate Club. After all, he reasoned, he did seem to remember her being in the Debate Club last year, if not being the President of it. Not that he had much interest in debating with other people, but it did seem like kind of a start to give him more options to look at besides the Music Club.

"Wait," he continued, stopping her, "You're in the Debate Club, right?"

Monika's eyebrow furrowed as a flicker of a frown painted her delicate face. However, it was too quick for Dan to notice before another sweet, twittering giggle escaped her lips, the placid smile quickly returning to her lips.

"Oh, I actually quit the Debate Club!" she replied, "To be honest, I can't stand a lot of the politics surrounding the major clubs. It just feels like nothing but arguing about budget and how to handle publicity for events."

Dan nodded in agreement as he listened to her talk. He could definitely see where it would be frustrating to deal with the in-fighting that surrounded larger clubs. After all, with more people in the club, it was likely that there were going to be several different ideas and viewpoints about how to achieve their goals, that clashes and disagreements were more than likely to happen.

Then again, he thought to himself, considering that it was the Debate Club that they were talking about, that kind of debate and discourse didn't seem too out of the ordinary. That said, he smirked, he couldn't imagine what it'd be like to be caught in a discussion about budget with a group of people who were not only skilled at argument, but also deeply passionate about it as well.

"Besides," Monika continued, "I'd much rather take something that I personally enjoy and make something special of it."

"So," Dan asked, "What club did you join, then?"

Again, Monika giggled, as a mischievous glint of emerald sparked in her eyes like green electricity, sending a shiver coursing up the tall man's spine.

"Well," she replied, "Actually, I decided to start a new one: A Literature Club!"

Dan felt himself grow cold, as Monika's words echoed deep in his mind. An uncomfortable feeling crept through every cell in his body, pooling into a knot in the pit of his stomach. For the briefiest of moments, he couldn't help but think of those few brief moments right before he went to sleep, where his tired muscles would spasm, briefly tricking his dozing mind that he was falling, when he was actually laying perfectly still.

Brief flashes of color and sound shot through his memory like a speeding train, far too fast for him to comprehend anything other than brief blurs. Only faint emotions, lacking context and memory for him to make sense of, but still resonating within him. Maybe he was just tired, or maybe again it was just the heat and humidity in the air outside, but he couldn't help but feel like there was something about the way that Monika spoke of the Literature Club that was more important to him than he realized.

"A Literature Club?" he wondered, clearing his throat as he tried to resume a mask of calm indifference, lest he embarrass himself in front of the most popular girl in the class, "That's sounds kind of interesting. How many members you have so far?"

Monika blushed, giggling again as she covered her mouth with one of her elegant, graceful hands.

"Well," she replied, "it's kind of embarrassing. But, there's only about three or four of us, so far. It's kind of difficult for us to find members for something that a lot of people find kind of , it's not really that boring. I mean, literature can be anything right? Reading, writing, poetry-heck, one of my club members even keeps her manga in the clubroom."

Dan paused, now listening to her with curious interest. It wasn't necessarily that he was that much of a manga fan-he'd been known to read a few mangas and some other graphic novels from time to time-but there was something about what she said that struck a strange cord with him.

He could have sworn that he'd known a girl who used to hide out in one of the clubroom closets and read manga all the time. Of course, he reasoned, considering that this was high school, it was likely just some rumor that one of the more popular, but vindictive, students tried to spread in some weak attempt to start gossip about a less popular student.

"She insists that manga is literature," Monika continued, "I mean, she's not wrong, I guess."

"Yeah," Dan agreed, "I mean, it's sort of a combination of art and storytelling, so I can see where it counts. Hell, there's a lot of things that people wouldn't necessarily consider legit literature that totally count, like plays or fanfiction and whatever."

"Yeah," she replied brightly, "And anyways, a member's a member, right? Which reminds me; by any chance are you still looking for a club to join."

Dan's brow furrowed as he rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly feeling just as embarrassed and ashamed as Monika had when mentioning her club's currently lack of members. How had she known that he was looking for a club to join? He wondered. Was it really that obvious to everyone that he was that much of an introverted loner who needed friends?

"Uh…" he stammered, "Well-not really. I mean I was thinking about maybe the Music Club, but I dunno…."

Again, Monika giggled, amused by Dan's apparent embarrassment as he tried to stutter out a few more half-formed excuses. The light of the afternoon sun in the windows caught her emerald eyes, making them appear almost as if they were glowing with a mischevious glimmer. He could almost see the gears turning in her head as she swiftly formulated a plan as she looked at him like a hungry shark circling around an injured seal.

Sighing, he prepared himself for the inevitable sales pitch that he was certain that she was about to give him. Part of him wished that he hadn't said anything. After all, Monika had just said that they were short on members, and seeing as he was currently not already a member of a club, it made sense that she'd take this opportunity to sway him into joining her club.

To be perfectly honest, he admitted, he wasn't really sure how much of an interest he had in literature. Sure, he did enjoy reading sci-fi and fantasy stories on occasion, and songwriting was sort of considered akin to writing poetry, in a sense. But, he wasn't sure that he'd be able to match the passion and dedication to literature that he was positive that the other members probably had.

"Well," Monika asked, clapping her hands together in a way that suggested that she had everything figured out, "In that case, can I ask you a favor? Would you consider stopping by and visiting the Literature Club today?"

Dan started to open his mouth to protest, but quickly found himself cut off as Monika gave him a pleading pout before continuing.

"Now," she continued, "I'm not asking you to join. I'm just asking that you stop by for maybe one meeting, just to see what it's like? It'd make me really happy if you did."

Monika looked almost like a sad puppy that was silently begging their owner to pay attention to them, as her pout grew and she folded her arms behind her back. A sharp pang of guilt stabbed through the curly haired man's heart like a needle, as she waited expectantly for his answer.

Damn it, he thought to himself, if there was one thing that he was absolutely weak to, it had to be a cute girl like Monika giving him puppy-dog eyes. It was probably a good thing that he wasn't in the Debate Club then, he laughed, especially while Monika had still been a part of it. He was sure that he wouldn't have been able to even finish his original argument before conceding his point in the face of her angelic smile.

Perhaps, it was just his own imagination that caused him to over exaggerate things, or his own reluctance to disappoint a cute woman, but he couldn't help but feel as if he were unable to say no. He felt as if an invisible hand had wrapped around his throat, strangling out any sounds of protest or doubt before they could leave his lips.

He wasn't sure why, but he couldn't shake the nagging feeling in the back of his mind warning him that disappointing Monika was a mistake that could easily have dire consequences on his life as he knew it. Of course, he reasoned, that was an exaggeration. The least she could probably do was probably mess with his social standing among the other students in the school. But then, it wasn't like he had that many friends that it would have mattered.

Besides, Monika was too nice of a person to do something as cruel and vindictive as that.

"Sure," Dan shrugged, "I don't see the harm in it."

"Ah!" Monika replied, practically beaming, "Wonderful! Thank you! You're really sweet, you know that, Danny?"

Again, Dan felt his face burn as a rose-colored blush painted his cheeks. Bashfully, he fidgeted with a loose thread on the sleeve of his jacket as he tried to avoid looking directly Monika's radiant, sun-like smile.

"Eh," he mumbled, "It's nothing, I guess."

"Well then," Monika continued, as she started to leave the classroom, "Shall we go?"

Dan nodded, following her out of the classroom. With each step he took toward the third floor and the Literature Club Room, he couldn't help but feel a nervous knot of anxiety and doubt tie itself tighter around his gut, making him wonder if he knew exactly what he'd gotten himself into.

He felt as if he'd sold his soul to Monika and her angelic, irresistible smile. His fate, he thought to himself, no longer in his own hands, having been placed at the mercy of the Literature Club and it's cunning and brilliant President.

On a whim, she could make his life a heaven, more blissful and sweeter than his sweetest dreams, or a hell more twisted and terrible than his darkest nightmare.

You really gotta stop over-romanticizing things, he thought to himself as a small smile crossed his lips, It's just a club! There's no need to take things so seriously like that. What's the worst that could happen?


A few short moments later brought Dan and Monika to a door at the end of the third floor. The floor itself was almost eerily quite, Dan noted, instinctively stepping closer behind the Literature Club President. But then again, he reminded himself, it wasn't really that unusual for the third floor. After all, this floor was mostly comprised of clubrooms and extra classrooms.

Energetically, Monika pushed open the door, leading her guest into Literature Club room. At first, Dan almost wasn't entirely sure that Monika hadn't just lead him into an empty room. Only rows and rows of empty desks stretched across the small wooden floor, drawing his eye toward the scattering of posters and notes pinned to the wall.

For a brief moment, Dan felt a cold shiver creeping down his spine as his eyes focused on one particular picture that seemed out of place among the others on the board. It was a large, black and white photograph of what appeared to be a suicide. Though the image itself was faded and washed out, something about the image struck a horrifying chord in the back of his mind.

He could have sworn that he'd seen this image before. No, he thought, it was more like he'd been there before, somewhere in his deepest, darkest nightmares. He had opened that door, he had been the one to find that girl's body like that.

But, he thought, closing his eyes as he tried to block it from his memory, why was he seeing that here? Why would the Literature Club room have such a disturbing image posted to their wall?

With a shuddering breath, he opened his eyes again. Almost immediately, he did a double-take. He had to have been imagining things, he thought. The gruesome image was no longer there, replaced with a large calender that was marked with a few dates for random events that didn't really interest or concern him.

Curiously, he cast a glance at Monika, as if he hoped that she could confirm if what he'd saw was a hallucination, or if it what it meant if it wasn't. However, the Club President seemed oblivious to him as she cheerfully called out to the other club members.

"I'm back!" she replied in a song-like voice, "And I brought a guest with me!"

From the corner of the room, a purple haired girl looked up from her book, eyeing the new guest in the club with violet eyes that glimmered with a curious expression. How Dan had somehow overlooked her, he was not sure. Perhaps it was the way that she had huddled herself up in the corner of the room, trying to make herself appear as small and inconspicuous as possible.

As her purple eyes stared through him, examining him with the uncertain fascination of a biologist discovering a new species of potentially poisonous frog, Dan felt something flash through his mind like a sudden migrane. But, no sooner had he winced to react, the feeling passed.

"A-a guest?" The girl asked curiously, her voice soft and mumbling.

Suddenly, a second girl, this one glaring at him with rose colored eyes that matched her pigtailed hair, appeared. Unlike her taller, more demure looking friend, the second girl seemed much shorter and outgoing as she practically leapt in behind the taller girl, her displeasure toward their new guest. If it weren't for the fact that he was almost certain he'd seen her in the hallways between classes the previous year, he would have almost mistaken her for a first year student.

"Seriously?" the pink haired girl whined as she rested her hands on her hips, "You brought another boy? Ugh, way to kill the atmosphere, Monika. I thought that we agreed that the next new member we got was gonna be a girl."

"Don't be mean, Natsuki," Monika replied, though the calm smile on her face suggested that she didn't take the other girl's complaints all that seriously, "Anyways, everyone, this is Danny! He's our newest club member."

The curly haired man felt his face grow warm as he sheepishly attempted to rake his hand through the tied back mess of curls atop his head. Monika had said that the club didn't have many members, he noted, but he certainly hadn't thought that the two members that she had managed to find would be as incredibly cute as they happened to be.

"So," Natsuki sneered, quirking her eyebrow in an unimpressed look as she folded her arms across her chest, "Let me guess-you're Monika's boyfriend, right?"

Both Monika and Dan exchanged quizzical, alarmed looks with one another, wondering how the pink haired girl had reached such an unusual conclusion. It wasn't like either of them had been in the same room outside of class, much less even talked to one another. Had Monika perhaps said something that Natsuki had misinterpreted to imply that she and Dan were in a relationship.

A nervous blush painted Monika's cheeks as she giggled again, as she quickly changed the subject before he could ask her any further questions about the subject.

"Ahahaha," she continued, waving toward the pink haired girl "Anyways, this is Natsuki-full of energy as usual."

The short girl glared at him sourly, as if the other man's presence was akin to the stench of a rotting corpse left out in the hot summer sun. Again, Monika ignored her as she waved toward the purple haired girl.

"And this," Monika added, "Is our Vice President, Yuri."

The violet haired girl blushed, shyly curling in on herself and tugging on the sleeve of her uniform, as if she were afraid Dan's gaze would turn her to stone if she stared directly at him for too long.

"I-it's nice to meet you," Yuri mumbled, staring fixedly at a spot on the floor beside her.

It was interesting, Dan thought, that Monika would happen to find two people who appeared to be polar opposites of one another in both personality and appearance, that coincidentally both had an interest in literature. Monika must have been a little better at finding members than she gave herself credit for.

But, he thought to himself, his eyes looking around the room. Hadn't Monika said that the club had four members? And hadn't Natsuki said that there was another guy there? Part of him wondered where the missing club member was, but another part of him reasoned that it wasn't really that big of a concern. He'd probably been running late, or had stepped out to the bathroom while Monika was gone or something.

As if on cue, a loud slamming of a door opening echoed through the classroom, interrupting as she started to speak. The four turned toward the door as another figure rushed in the room, stumbling as he nearly tripped over his own hastened feet.

The other figure panted, catching his breath as he drew himself to his full height, easily towering over his three female club members. His face paled as his brown eyes fell on Dan, observing the other man as if he'd just seen a ghost. Although his expression remained hidden behind a mask of calm, unreadable neutrality, the other man couldn't help but catch the faintest twitch of annoyance and anger within the corners of his face.

This man, Dan recognized, was the same student that he had met on the way to school earlier that morning.

Arin must have been the other guy in the Literature Club that Natsuki had mentioned a few minutes ago. It was almost amusing, Dan chuckled to himself, how outstanding the odds that in a school as large as this, that the one guy he happened to meet on the way to school would also happen to not only know, but be in the same club that Monika had convinced him to visit.

A faint flicker of frown passed across Monika's face, her green eyes narrowing in mild disdain as she looked at the final, no longer missing club member. However, her placid smile returned, as she giggled sweetly once more.

"Ah," she continued, "And this is the last member of our club, Arin, running late as usual."

The taller man rolled his eyes, scowling as he grumbled something under his breath before turning his attention toward the curly haired man. Once more, Arin's deep brown eyes glared at him as he took his place beside the other two club members. An icy glare glinted behind those eyes, as if warning Dan to be on his guard; that this club was not some frivolous curiosity to be treated lightly.

"Yeah," Dan laughed, shrugging off the uneasy feeling that itched in the back of his mind, "Funny enough, I ran into Arin on the way to school today."

Monika's brow furrowed as she stroked her chin, he gaze lowering as it shifted between the two men. She hummed to herself as her mouth twisted into troubled frown, as if she were trying to solve a complicated math problem in her head.

"Hmmm," she said, mostly to herself, "Interesting…."

Why was that 'interesting;? Dan wondered to himself. Sure, it seemed pretty amusing that the two would happen to run into each other twice in the same day, but the way Monika spoke, didn't sound like she suspected that there was far more to their meeting than just a mere coincidence.

"Well," Monika continued, smiling once more as if nothing had bothered her, "Anyways, I ran into Danny in the classroom, and he decided to check out the club! Isn't that great?"

Now, it was Arin's turn to furrow his brow, folding his arms across his chest as he stared pensively down at his chest. Much like Monika's troubled frown, the frown that darkened the other man's expression silently suggested his doubt that her meeting with Dan had entirely been a coincidence, either.

"Well," Dan said, quickly changing the subject to break the tension, "In any case, it's nice to meet everyone."

The others nodded, silently returning Dan's greeting. Natsuki, however, scowled, resting her hands on her hips as she seemed to ignore him, instead turning her attention toward the Club President.

"Monika," the pink haired girl whined, stamping her foot slightly "Didn't I tell you to let me know when you brought someone new into the club?! I was gonna, well-y'know….."

Monika laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her neck as a flustered blush painted Natsuki's cheeks, forcing her words to trail off, unfinished.

"I'm sorry," Monika apologized, "I didn't forget. It was just that this was sort of a spur of the moment thing. I promise that I'll try to give you a little advanced warning next time."

Although the short girl's arms were still planted firmly on her hips, her expression softened as a smile crossed her lips, reluctantly accepting her friend and fellow club member's apology.

"Well," Natsuki grumbled, "Whatever. Next time you better bring another girl, too."

At this, the rest of the club chuckled, the tension in the air shattering like fragile glass, allowing a sense of comfort and levity to permeate through the air like a much needed cool breeze in a stuffy room.

"Well," Yuri replied, "In any case, I should at least make some tea, shouldn't I?"

"Yeah," Monika replied, nodding enthusiastically, "That would be great!"

In a flurry of movement, Natsuki, Monika and Arin had managed to arrange a few of the desks into a makeshift table. Meanwhile, Yuri had withdrawn a small, metal tea kettle from the closet, and had stepped out of the club room for a moment to fill the kettle up with water.

How had Yuri managed to sneak an entire tea set into the school, especially the heater necessary to boil the tea. After all, the principal and the teachers barely even allowed students to bring cellphones to school, except for emergencies. So, how she'd managed to bring in something that had the potential to burn down the entire school was beyond him.

"Danny," Monika called, motioning for him to sit in the space between her and Arin, "Please take a seat!"

Nervously, Dan sat down between the two, squirming slightly as he felt the two seem to shift just slightly closer on either side of him, as if threatening to press themselves into his sides, crushing him between their two bodies. He could almost feel the fire and heat radiating from the two club members eyes as they shared a brief glare at one another behind his back, before resuming a friendly politeness.

"Now," Monika said, "I know that you didn't plan on coming, but we'll still try to make you feel as comfortable as possible. After all, it's my duty as President of the Literature Club to make sure this club is fun and exciting for everyone, and that its members feel at home here."

Beside him, Arin snorted, stifling a chuckle, before speaking.

"Well," he said, "Dan's not a member yet. But, either way, it's not really just the club president's job to make everyone feel welcome. I mean, like, that's sort of all of the members jobs, right? I mean, it's kind of difficult to find more members if we end up scaring off everyone and giving them the wrong impression about the club."

"Indeed," Monika nodded in agreement.

"Honestly," Dan added, "I'm kind of surprised that you guys don't have more members. I mean, you all seem pretty nice. And Monika- I remember you being pretty well liked in our class last year. I'm amazed that more people haven't joined yet. It must be hard to start a new club."

Again, Monika giggled, flipping her long, cinnamon-colored hair gracefully, accidentally brushing Dan's face with a few stray locks. Her expression softened, seeming to star off into the distance, as if the words that she was going to speak were written on the far wall in invisible ink that only she could see.

"Well," she replied, "honestly, it kind of is? I mean, it's really difficult to convince people to join something that they might not be particularly interested in. Not a lot of people are willing to put in the effort on something if they don't already care deeply about it."

Monika exchanged a knowing glance with Arin over Dan's shoulder before continuing.

"You have to try really hard to convince people that a club is both fun and worthwhile," she continued, "But it makes school events, like the festival, that much more important. I'm confident that we can really grow this club into something special before we graduate. Right, Natsuki?"

Natsuki shrugged indifferently as she leaned back in her chair, as if she were unsure as to whether her vision of the Literature Club matched everyone else's. Admittedly, Dan could sympathize with her reluctance, to a degree. She probably enjoyed the tight-knight intimacy of a smaller club, he guessed. As much as Natsuki probably wanted to see the club grow as well, she probably also didn't want to risk losing the camaraderie and friendship that a smaller club brought.

"Well," she replied, "I guess."

It was interesting, Dan thought as he silently listened to the three present club members engage in conversation. Such interesting and wonderful people with diverse personalities all with the same goal; Monika must have gotten lucky and managed to strike gold when finding these three.

Then again, he reasoned, perhaps Natsuki, Yuri and Arin had been like him. Perhaps they had felt as if they were magically drawn to this club by some sort of invisible force; be it Monika's shining personality or something more mystical and supernatural. Had they too felt that this club was part of some secret destiny they weren't fully aware of, and that joining would bring them one step closer to understanding themselves?

Or was he once again letting his overactive imagination run wild inside his mind?

His thoughts were interrupted as Yuri returned to the table, her arms balancing elegant silver tray, laden with several delicate-looking porcelian teacups, a steaming kettle of liquid and various other tea-supplies. The percariously perched tea set rattled slightly as she tried to balance in her shaky hands, threatening to spill the tea into a puddle of broken glass and scalding liquid at the floor.

Quickly, Dan stood up, helping her steady the tea-set as he took the cups, setting them down in front of everyone. The purple haired girl blushed, a small, startled yelp escaping her lips as she busied herself with the filling the tea cups.

"So," Dan asked, "How did you manage to bring a whole tea set here?"

Again Yuri's blush deepened, her face almost turning a shade of red that matched the ribbon tie on her uniform, as she fervently tried to avoid eye contact with him.

"A-ah," she mumbled, "I asked the teachers and the principal for permission to bring it in here for the club. They told me that as long as it doesn't leave the club room, then it's alright for us to keep it in here. After all, doesn't a cup of hot tea help you enjoy a good book?"

Now it was Dan's turn to feel his face grow warm in embarrassment. To be honest, he never really thought that much about it. It wasn't that he necessarily didn't enjoy reading, or didn't enjoy tea. In fact, he could argue that quite the opposite was true on both accounts. It was just that he'd never really thought too deeply on whether reading while drinking tea enhanced his experience.

Monika grinned as she rested her hand on Dan's shoulder, snapping him out of his daze.

"Don't let yourself get intimidated," she said lightly, "Yuri's just trying to impress you."

A startled gasp escaped the purple haired girl's lips as she clutched her chest as if she were trying to shield herself from the other club member's prying eyes and Monika's well meaning assumptions. Her eyes narrowed as she looked away, insulted that her fellow club member would even suggest that she was simply trying to intimidate Dan.

"Th-that's not true!" She squeaked, her words trailing off as she idly twisted a lock of her long hair in her hands, "I-I meant that, you know-"

"It's okay," Dan smiled warmly, "I knew what you meant, and I believe you. It just that I never really thought about it, y'know? I mean, I do like tea, and I do like reading, though."

Yuri heaved a sigh of relief, allowing her stiff posture to loosen as she sat down next to Natsuki. A small, inward smile crept over her face as she clasped the teacup in her hand.

Following suite, Dan also picked up his own tea-cup, closing his eyes as he allowed the warm, flowery scent of the tea to fill his nostrils, chasing away whatever stray nervousness and background uneasiness he felt, like the wind blowing sand off of a desert dune.

"So," Yuri continued, the timidness fading from her voice as she spoke, "What kind of stories do you like to read, Danny?"

"Well," Dan began, "I really like fantasy stories, like stuff about dragons and unicorns and magic in faraway lands, y'know? But, sometimes I like reading some manga or a graphic novel if it interests me, too."

Natuski, who had remained silent as she sipped her tea, perked up at the word 'manga', sitting up as she listens in on the conversation with interest. She looked as if she wanted to say something, Dan noted, but had decided that it was probably better to keep quiet for the moment.

Beside her, Yuri's expression softened, lowering her head pensively as she stared at the teacup in her hand. Once more, a shy smile painted her delicate lips as a pink blush painted her pale cheeks.

"What about you?" Dan ventured to ask, unsure of how Yuri would respond, "What kind of things do you like reading?"

"Well," the purple haired girl replied, thinking a moment, "I guess you could say that I sort of enjoy the same types of stories.I really enjoy novels that build deep and complex fantasy worlds. The level of creativity and craftsmanship it takes to create a world so vastly different from our own is amazing to me. And telling a story in such a foreign world is so fascinating to me."

Yuri traced a slender finger along the rim of her teacup as she continued to talk. It was almost like watching someone become poessessed by another person, Dan thought. The timid uncertainty that made the tall girl seem almost mouse-like had melted away, replaced with the sharp eloquent, well-spoken demeanor that seemed almost paradoxically alien and befitting of a person such as her.

"But you know," She continued, her violet eyes glimmering, "Stories with a deep psychological element fascinate me, as well. Isn't it amazing how a writer can deliberately take advantage of the reader's imagination and use it against them, to throw them for a loop? Anyways, I've been reading a lot of horror lately."

He wasn't sure why, but he couldn't help but feel as if Yuri's description of the genre struck a chord somewhere in the depth of his soul far deeper than he realized was capable of existing. Shaking his head, he tried to push the creeping sense of terror out of his mind before it could fill his mind with dark, existential thoughts and questions.

"Yeah," he replied, "I've read a couple horror novels before…."

Mentally, he wished that he could have slapped himself. Way to make himself seem like a complete idiot, he thought. Although he could relate to what she was saying on a minimal level, trying to find the right words to express that sentiment without sounding like an awkward loser tripping over his own words, made him feel that Yuri would have had an easier time communicating with a brick wall.

Thankfully, Monika seemed to step in with a sweet, pleaseant laugh before Yuri could react to his stumbling awkwardness.

"Ahahahaha," she giggled, "I'd expect that from you, Yuri! It suits your personality quite well,"

"Is that so?" the purple haired girl quirked an eybrow toward the Club President.

"Eh," Arin added before Monika could respond, "I wouldn't necessarily say that, personally. I mean, yeah, you reading horror novels does sort of suit part of your personality. But, that said, people have a lot of different facets to their personalities. Like, how Natsuki tries to act tough, but is actually very sweet and cute-"

"-or how you look like you should be this tough jock," Natsuki interjected, though her annoyance at being called 'cute' evident in her voice, "But you're like super into pink and girly anime stuff, too."

Arin laughed, bashfully playing with a loose lock of hair before continuing.

"True," he said, "I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's hard to judge a book by it's cover, so to speak? Like, the cover can look like an innocent romance novel, but could end up being a dark suspense thriller or something, y'know?"

"Indeed," Monika agreed, nodding, "You have a point. I guess that not everyone is always as they would appear to be."

Once more, Monika and Arin seemed to both be staring through the curly haired man between them, their eyes meeting somewhere in the core of his very existence as they shared another look of silent understanding with one another. And yet, there was something unmistakably dangerous in the intensity of their expressions, that Dan couldn't place, but felt uneasy with all the same.

Why did it feel like the two of them knew something more than the rest of them? He wondered.

"Anyways," Yuri continued, "If a story transports me to another world, or makes me think as I try to theorize about the story and wonder what will happen next, I find it difficult to put down. But, what about you, Arin? Are you into horror as well?"

A dark, yet sorrowful expression clouded the other man's face as his hands gripped tighter around the empty teacup, his shoulders slumped as his thoughts seemed to drift away from the present, if only for a moment.

"I guess I used to be," he replied, "But I'm not so sure anymore. Lately, it kind of feels like I've kind of fell into sci-fi and stuff like that."

"Ah," Yuri smiled, setting her cup down and clasping her hands together, "That's fascinating! You know, there's a lot of crossover between ideas and themes that appear in science fiction, fantasy and horror. Each are heavily involved in engaging with the readers imaginations and crafting complex worlds that are often full of suspense and mystery. So, it'd be natural for there to be some overlap between the genres."

"Ugh!" Natsuki shivered, "I hate horror! It's just so-"

The pink haired girl's eyes darted over in Dan's direction for a moment, as she left her words to hang in the air. She seemed like she wanted to say that she wasn't as into the horror genre as her other two clubmates, but seemed as if she were afraid that Dan and the others would think she was weird of childish for not liking it.

"Hey," Dan replied, "It's cool. I mean, horror's not really a genre that everyone's into. I mean, I like some part of horror-especially if it sort of builds up to a bittersweet ending. But, the suspense and shit in the build up is kind of difficult to handle, y'know?"

Natsuki nodded, though the sour frown never left her face. However, what sourness that had fallen upon the room was quickly broken as Monika laughed warmly a fox-like grin.

"That's right," Monika said, "You usually like writing about cute things, don't you, Natsuki?"

The smaller girl gasped, glaring at Monika with a sharp look that could have cut glass like a knife through hot butter, had she been given the chance to properly weaponize it.

"W-what gave you that idea?!" she asked defensively, quickly stammering over her words, much to the Club President's amusement, "I-I never said-"

"You left a poem in the club room the other day," Monika continued as she withdrew a folded piece of notebook paper, "It looked like you were working on somehting called-"

"Don't say it out loud!" the other girl cried, leaping out of her chair to grab the paper out of Monika's hand, "Geez, Monika! Snooping around and reading people's stuff like that without permission?! That's so rude!"

Despite himself, Dan couldn't help but laugh at the petite girl's anger and embarrassment. There was just something kind of endearing about how flustered she got about something as innocent as writing a poem. Beside him, he heard Arin chuckle as well, altering him that he was not the only one that found this scene to be amusing and endearing.

And yet, the sharp, threatening glare that the petite girl gave the two men as Monika handed her back the paper warned him that laughing too long would probably end up with the two of them receiving a swift kick to the gut and a couple broken limbs, at best.

"So Natsuki," Dan asked, hoping to change the subject to lighter topics, "You write you're own poems?"

"Well," Natsuki blushed, rubbing her arm bashfully, "Sometimes. I mean, they're not that good."

"Are you kidding?" Arin protested, "Natsuki and Yuri are like two of the best writers in the school! I'd give anything to be able to write half as good as they do."

"Whatever," Natsuki rolled her eyes, "Why do you care, anyways?"

"Oh, no reason," Dan replied, "It's just that I'm kind of impressed is all. I'm kind of a poetry writer myself, actually. Well, as much as one can count 'songwriting' as poetry, I guess. What do you usually write about?"

The pink haired girl grimaced, nervously fidgeting with the cuff of her grey blazer as she sullenly looked down at the ground beside her. A rose-colored blush, almost the same shade as her hair and eyes painted her cheeks.

"I-it's stupid," she grumbled, "Y-you wouldn't like them, anyways."

"Ah, c'mon," he replied, "You don't know that, yet! You should share them, sometimes. But like, whenever you feel more confident about it, y'know? I mean, I don't want to force you into doing something when you're not that confident about your writing yet."

"I understand how Natsuki feels," Yuri added, her soft voice gently interrupting the conversation, "Writing is a lot like baring your soul to complete strangers. Exposing your vulnerabilities and being honest with one's self takes a high level of confidence. Sharing that with others you aren't quite familiar with takes an even higher level of confidence that isn't easy to achieve."

Once more, Dan nodded, feeling some sort of unspoken truth behind Yuri's words. As much as he wished that he could read everyone's poems, and perhaps get acquainted with them on a much more personal level, he knew that it wasn't fair to put them in such an awkward position just for his sake. He was sure if the situation were reversed, he wouldn't have liked for someone to pry into his deepest, darkest secrets.

"Do you have writing experience, Yuri?" Monika asked, once more pulling Dan from his introspective daze and back into the club room with the others, "Maybe you could share your writing as well, and help Natsuki become a little more comfortable sharing hers?"

The purple haired girl said nothing, absently playing with her hair as she shyly curled in on herself. He guessed that, despite their differences in personality, both Natsuki and Yuri were in the same boat when it came to their confidence in their own writings.

A brief, heavy silence fell over the room as the group tried to figure out where to take the halted conversation next. Suddenly, Monika's eyes lit up, glimmering like emeralds in the afternoon sun as an idea came across her mind. Snapping her fingers, she stood up, looking over the other club members excitedly. The others looked quizzically at her, wondering what idea she had already concocted in her mind.

"I've got an idea," she said proudly, clapping her hands together, "Let's all go home and write poems of our own! Then, when we meet tomorrow, we can all share them together! That way, if were all being put on the spot, then nobody'll feel singled out."

Natsuki and Yuri seemed hesitant, neither one of them managing to form more than a few uncertain sounds of protest as they fidgeted nervously in their chairs. Across from them, Arin remained motionless, leaning back in his chair with his arms folded across his chest, his expression blank as if part of him was used to this sort of hesitancy from the other two club members, and knew that their reluctance would be short lived. Monika frowned, sighing to herself as she brushed a lock of hair away from her face.

"Well," she sighed, "I thought it was a good idea, at least."

Strangely, it was Yuri to break the silence first.

"You're right, Monika," she said, "I believe it's a good idea. I believe that we need to find activities for this club to do together. After all, I did decide to accept the position of Vice-President. I need to do my best to nurture the club and its members. Besides, now that we have a new member, it seems like a good step for us to take. Do you agree as well, Danny?"

Wait a minute, Dan thought as four pairs of eyes fell on him, expectantly. Why was everyone acting like he'd already joined the club? Sure, he'd had a pretty good time talking to everyone and getting to know them, but that didn't mean that he had actually decided to join the club.

"Wait a second," Dan said, shaking his head, "I never promised that I'd join! I mean-I still have a few other clubs to look at and…."

It was no use trying to make excuses, he thought, his stomach sinking as he watched the four club members sink dejectedly, staring at him with sad, disappointed eyes.

For every excuse he could think of, those four pairs of sad, dejected eyes had already thought up of at least seven counter arguments to invalidate his already weak excuses. How could he be so cruel as to disappoint people as interesting and beautiful as them?

"B-but," Monika started to protest.

"I-I'm sorry," Yuri mumbled, "I thought….."

Natsuki said nothing as she crossed her arms tightly around her chest, glaring viciously at him through her pink eyes.

Although traces of sorrow lined Arin's face, Dan couldn't help but notice a faint light of anxious anticipation dancing behind his brown eyes, as he held his breath. It was like he was waiting, hoping for Dan to either back down on his decision, or to stick with his choice not to join. Which one it was exactly, Dan was unsure.

"Now, c'mon, everyone," Arin said, "Let's not get upset. It's really up to Dan whether he wants to join or not, right? It'd be kind of rude of us to force him into doing something he doesn't want to do."

Dan nodded, silently thankful that the other man seemed to understand the situation, to a degree. The other two club members looked pleadingly at Monika, hoping that she could explain to him why it was so important that he join.

"I guess I should probably tell you the truth," Monika explained, "The truth is, that we don't really have enough members to be an official club, yet. The Club Committee and the school board require us to have five members in order to be an official club. I've been trying really hard to find new members, but if we don't find one before the festival-"

His stomach sank again as he looked into Monika's eyes, Monika had been really enthusiastic about finding a new club member. And, it'd be rude of him to just reject them like this after she'd went through all the trouble of introducing him to everyone. It would be terrible of him to let everyone down like that.

Besides, he reasoned, he'd had a pretty good time today. And, everyone did seem pretty interesting to be around. So, it probably wouldn't hurt for him to spend a little more time around everyone. And, if writing poems was what it took to get to spend time with everyone, then it was a sacrifice he was willing to make.

Then again, he added, something in the back of his mind told him that it was probably likely that the universe itself wouldn't have allowed him to say no, either way.

"Alright," Dan sighed, "I'll join. You convinced me. I mean, it'd be pretty rude of me to just take advantage of everyone's hospitality and then just say no like that, right? And, if it'll help you guys out, then I can't really say no, can I?"

One by one, the other club members eyes lit up, relief washing over their once defeated and hopeless expressions.

"Oh my goodness!" Monika exclaimed in disbelief, "Really?! That's wonderful! Thank you, Danny!"

"You really scared me there for a second," Yuri said, sighing in relief as she clutched her chest.

"If you'd really just left after all this," Natsuki added, "Then I was gonna be super pissed."

Arin said nothing as a thin, tight-lipped smile crossed his face as he gave the other man a friendly, welcoming pat on the back. Although he didn't seem quite as enthused about Dan joining as the others did, the fiery spark that glimmered in his eyes seemed to suggest that he wasn't entirely disappointed, either.

"I guess," Arin laughed, "That no longer being the only guy in the club won't be so bad."

Again, Monika spoke, practically bouncing in excitement as she threw her arms around Dan in a grateful hug. The curly hair man squirmed, trying to wrench himself free of the Club President before she accidentally crushed his lungs in her iron grip. Giggling, she apologized as she released him, allowing him to catch his breath.

"Oh," she exclaimed, "Thank you so much again, Danny! This means we can be an official club now! I'm so happy! I promise that we're gonna have so much fun!"

A few more moments passed in idle, friendly conversation as the excitement died down and everyone settled in on drinking refills of Yuri's tea. It was almost strange to Dan, but he couldn't help but feel as if everything about this felt eerily, yet comfortably familiar. As if he'd been through this all many times before.

Of course he reasoned, that could just have been his imagination again. Sometimes these feelings of deja vu tended to happen, he thought. It was nothing too weird, and nothing the really bothered to concern himself with. Before any of them realized it, the sun was starting to set, drawing the meeting to a close.

"Okay everyone," Monika said finally, "I think that we can end today's meeting on a good note. Everyone, please remember tonight's assignment and don't forget to bring your poems to the next club meeting! I'm really excited to see how you express yourself, Danny."

For a moment, Dan hesitated, unsure of what to do, as he slowly began to gather his things into his backpack. A small part of him felt like he was supposed to be waiting for someone to walk home with, even though he that that was ridiculous. He'd never walked home with anyone in all of his time in high school, he reminded himself.

Granted, he was sure that that could easily change, depending on how well he hit it off with the other club members. But, he wondered, could he really impress someone like Monika with his writing? Sure he wasn't a terrible writer, he reasoned, but compared to her, anything he was bound to write was going to look amateurish next to her writing.

He cast a glance over at Arin, noticing that the other man seemed to hover nervously, kneading his hands together as he cast a nervous glance between him and Monika, as if he wanted to say something to Dan, but was afraid that Monika would overhear him.

Steeling his nerves, the larger man approached him, clearing his throat to speak.

"H-hey Dan," Arin began

"Hey, Arin," Dan replied, "What's up?"

"Um…" Arin stuttered, "I-I don't know how to ask you this, but-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Monika's voice interrupted, echoing across the empty classroom as she called Arin over to her, wanting to talk about something with the club. The tall man grimaced, wincing as if hearing her voice speaking his name was like nails digging into this flesh.

"Shit," he swore under his breath, "Never mind. I gotta go. I'll see you later, right?"

"Yeah," Dan nodded as he started to leave.

During his walk home, he couldn't help but find his mind a buzz with thoughts of the Literature Club and its eclectic group of members. Had this all really just happened? He wondered. Had he really just had his life turned upside down in the span of a couple minutes?

And yet, he wondered if it was worth it for the chance to spend time with such wonderful and interesting people that comprised the club's membership?

Yuri, with her reserved sophistication and her passion for literature and tea.

Natsuki; a tough but cute girl who seemed like the type that people always underestimated.

Arin; so unreadable and almost mysterious, and yet somehow almost enigmatically familiar to him in a way that he didn't fully understand.

Monika- beautiful, smart, athletic with a passion and determination to make her club into something special. She was practically a goddess compared to her peers.

And Sayori-

No, a small voice in his mind reminded him as a migraine surged through his head like an electric shock, forcing him to clutch his forehead as his body convulsed in pain, She didn't exist, anymore. She had never existed. Who was Sayori?

His breaths heaved in heavy gasps, as if he'd emerged from nearly drowning in the ocean, as the migraine passed, leaving him feeling slightly woozy as he entered his house.

Why did he suddenly feel like joining the Literature Club had far deeper consequences than he even began to fully understand?